Wednesday's rehearsal and I had a full complement of cast. First Minister, Private Secretary, Artist. 

It surprised me all over again that you can spend two hours working on something that lasts five only FIVE minutes. 

The Private Secretary (aka Alan) has perhaps about twelve lines. Maybe not even that many. But the time it took to figure out where he would step when was astonishing. And then how he might say "I'll get off then" and then this and then that and the other. 

The Artist began to laugh. Somehow, (unsurprisingly perhaps), Alan speaking of pants is far funnier than I speaking of pants. And I feared slightly for our five minute one shot at perfection.

(Likely to be 9:25pm on Monday 23 June.) 

But we must hope that the eyes of one million people on them will encourage them to get lively, learn their words and be perfectly brilliant. 

One week and three days to go. As Kylie once said (sang), let's get to it.